Building on its patented utility-based computing infrastructure, Cluster Resources' Moab technologies enable an increasing number of sites to allocate compute, data, and network resources and orchestrate security, provisioning, and customization activities.

From an end user's point of view, requesting a dedicated cluster can consist of little more than logging in to the Web-based hosting portal, specifying the high level needs and pushing a button. Behind the scenes, Moab determines when and where resources will be available and what steps will be required to get them ready. As needed, management of VLAN's, OS installs, data staging and resource customization activities are coordinated and executed. While provisioning is occurring transparently in the background, Moab informs the user of when and how to log in and, at the appropriate time, enables remote access.

Sites are already using this capability to enable access to massive data sets, additional compute resources, custom applications and special hardware. The technology can be used for both internal and external customers and can support any quantity of resources from a fraction of a single node to a multi-thousand processor cluster. And because it is based on Moab technology, complete resource tracking, service guarantees, usage policies, accounting, integrated billing and diagnostics are built-in.

The ability to join scheduling, policy management, generalized resource monitoring (compute, storage, network, license, generic, etc.) and event triggers with the capability to connect with provisioning managers, identity managers, databases and many other services provides a powerful foundation for utility-based computing. This foundation is also showing value in the Data Center with opportunities to leverage Moab technologies to automate the processes that allow dynamic allocation of compute, data, and network resources to applications as demand changes.

High Performance Computing, utility based computing and data center needs are overlapping more and more. As a result, standard clusters are becoming increasingly dynamic and agile, allowing both resources to meet workload and workload to meet resources. If the projects Cluster Resources is currently engaged in are any sign of future directions, full utility-based computing is going to be a major force in cluster computing.